📚: The Last Viking, Stephen Bown: Quotes: Managing his public persona
He wasn’t good at protocol and had to be constantly advised by Leon on what his public response should be to certain events and occurrences, such as the death or dishonour of old comrades, or business offers. Over the years, Leon managed his brother’s public response to many diplomatic scenarios, understanding that personal opinions and feelings were not what people wanted from a famous explorer; they expected him to be larger than life, to give diplomatic public commentary on a great many issues, providing quotable comments that were suitably lofty and respectable. The problem was that Amundsen’s opinions were often emotional and personal. He had to learn how to dissemble and provide morally elevated half-truths that gave the appearance of sincerity. His expeditions were merely one part of a large, ongoing business enterprise, and his public persona had to be managed with this in mind.